I’ve been journaling regularly all my life; I consider myself a journaling expert!
I’ve gone through dozens of hardcover Moleskines and a couple Hobonichis, and countless other random notebooks. Because I write so much and don’t want to create waste, I use fountain pens which I fill with my favorite waterproof, UV-resistant, archival inks.
These days I typically use 3 physical journals daily:
- a pocket-sized softcover sketchbook which I keep in my wallet for thoughts/drawings about town
- a larger softcover Leuchtturm for more longform writing, which I bring along when I’m feeling thoughtful
- a Hobonichi “5 year journal” which I keep at home, every morning briefly logging the main events of the previous day
3 books is probably overkill for most people. I don’t set journaling goals/expectations for myself, rather I just write when I feel the need to work something out (which is pretty well all the time). My journals get filled with random doodles, writing in all directions, ticket stubs, etc. I’m quite informal about it but I’m never without some type of notebook. I follow the maxim “an artist is a person with a sketchbook attached,” believing that the same applies to writers and journals. I’m more consistent about carrying my notebooks than I am with carrying my phone.
I also use Obsidian heavily for general PKM, and sometimes journal-type essays wind up in there if my hand is tired.
I highly recommend the nonfiction book ‘The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper’ for those interested in the technology of notebooks/sketchbooks, how they have evolved over time, and how people use them for various applications that most people never think of.
I’ve gone through dozens of hardcover Moleskines and a couple Hobonichis, and countless other random notebooks. Because I write so much and don’t want to create waste, I use fountain pens which I fill with my favorite waterproof, UV-resistant, archival inks.
These days I typically use 3 physical journals daily:
- a pocket-sized softcover sketchbook which I keep in my wallet for thoughts/drawings about town
- a larger softcover Leuchtturm for more longform writing, which I bring along when I’m feeling thoughtful
- a Hobonichi “5 year journal” which I keep at home, every morning briefly logging the main events of the previous day
3 books is probably overkill for most people. I don’t set journaling goals/expectations for myself, rather I just write when I feel the need to work something out (which is pretty well all the time). My journals get filled with random doodles, writing in all directions, ticket stubs, etc. I’m quite informal about it but I’m never without some type of notebook. I follow the maxim “an artist is a person with a sketchbook attached,” believing that the same applies to writers and journals. I’m more consistent about carrying my notebooks than I am with carrying my phone.
I also use Obsidian heavily for general PKM, and sometimes journal-type essays wind up in there if my hand is tired.
I highly recommend the nonfiction book ‘The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper’ for those interested in the technology of notebooks/sketchbooks, how they have evolved over time, and how people use them for various applications that most people never think of.